What is the estimated annual cost of pressure ulcers in the United States?

• A. $9.1 to $11.6 billion.
• B. $500 million to $1 billion.
• C. $2.5 to $3 billion.
• D. $20 to $50 billion.

Answer: (A)

The main concept is the financial burden of pressure injuries across the health care system. The most supported estimate for this in the United States is about 9.1 to 11.6 billion dollars per year. This range comes from national analyses that include costs of extended hospital stays, wound care supplies and services, nursing time, specialty consultations, and post-acute care. It captures both direct medical costs and the downstream expense of longer recovery and care needs. Compared with the other options, this range aligns with large-scale cost studies and reflects the substantial resources required to prevent and treat pressure ulcers, while the smaller figures underestimate the full care footprint and the larger range would overstate typical national estimates.